Garrett escaped the death threat from his family, but the Texas Panhandle is where he may be at the end of any hope.
After being thrown out by his parents, Garrett’s planned escape ended when the last of his money landed him in a tiny West Texas town with no more resources than a backpack with his entire worldly goods and the change in his pocket. He huddles behind a dumpster to avoid the broiling noonday heat. As the sun moves below its apex, one of the workers from the convenience store tosses a few bags of food past its prime into the dumpster and Garrett is soon surrounded by the scent. His hunger overcomes his caution and Garrett takes advantage of a distraction to slip into the trash and snag the food. Garrett finds himself threatened by a group of locals when he discovers the bags hold more than stale burritos.
Trevor, the manager of the regional farmers’ co-op, rescues him before he goes to jail. A day later, after a hot shower, fresh clothes and a full stomach, Garrett is excited to have a possible solution to his problem.
When pieces disappear from an unusual collection of jewelry, Garrett and Trevor team up to find the actual thief.
Publisher's Note: This book was previously released as part of the Right Here, Right Now anthology with Pride Publishing.
General Release Date: 28th November 2017
Garrett sat glued to his seat, trying to keep the panic rising inside him to manageable levels. The bus door opened and he froze while the other passengers filed off. Garrett planned to use every minute he had before he left. He’d spent the last of his money to get as far away from his family as possible. He’d hoped to get to the West Coast—but this little town in the panhandle of Texas had become his destination when he’d found out the cost of his ticket.
“Hey. You have to get off the bus. This is your final destination.” The driver stopped, studying him for a minute. “Does your ride know when you’d be getting here?”
The thought of his family finding him sent a chill through Garrett, but he didn’t want to be caught in a complicated lie. “Yeah. It’s a drive for them. But they should be here soon.”
He moved faster under the driver’s considering gaze. It took only a few seconds to gather up everything he owned. Anything of value, including his iPhone, he’d sold to a pawnshop several states ago. Now he was down to a second change of clothes and not much else. As he moved out of the door, the hot breath of a West Texas summer hit him as if he’d opened a blast furnace. The heat rippled across the blacktop and gravel surrounding the convenience store, which doubled as a bus station. He threaded his arm through the loop on his backpack and headed toward the building.
When he stepped inside, Garrett paused for a moment to adjust to the dim surroundings. He’d hoped it had restroom facilities like a truck stop. He appreciated the showers that gave him an opportunity to clean up. With no towel, using them became tricky, but he was willing to figure it out to wash himself.
“Welcome to the Snack Shax. Can I help you find something?”
Garrett nodded and in a barely audible tone answered. “Restroom?”
“Back corner. Kinda behind the beer cooler.”
He followed the directions the clerk gave him, which forced him to move through the hot meals part of the store. By the time he’d walked past, the aroma of food left his stomach growling. The fact that Garrett hadn’t eaten in a couple of days made it sound even louder.
Jon Keys’ earliest memories revolve around books; with the first ones he can recall reading himself being “The Warlord of Mars” and anything with Tarzan. (The local library wasn’t particularly up to date.) But as puberty set in, he started sneaking his mother’s romance magazines and added the world of romance and erotica to his mix of science fiction, fantasy, Native American, westerns and comic books.
A voracious reader for almost half a century, Jon has only recently begun creating his own flights of fiction for the entertainment of others. Born in the Southwest and now living in the Midwest, Jon has worked as a ranch hand, teacher, computer tech, roughneck, designer, retail clerk, welder, artist, and, yes, pool boy; with interests ranging from kayaking and hunting to painting and cooking, he draws from a wide range of life experiences to create written works that draw the reader in and wrap them in a good story.
You can follow Jon on Twitter and Facebook.
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